My principal research aim is
to determine where, when and why modern humans evolved an extended ~20 year
period of growth and development. To research this problem I have pioneered ways
of studying incremental markings in fossil primate tooth tissues. Teeth are
abundant in the fossil record and contain incremental markings that allow us to
retrieve information about the rates of and direction of cell movement during
tooth development. Some of the mechanisms of morphological change during human
evolution have been described in this way and it has been possible to determine
the timing of key events during the period of growth and development in certain
fossil primates. This research theme drives an extensive international
interdisciplinary research effort with collaborations that draw on clinical
science, comparative anatomy and palaeontology.

Recent clinically
related studies: A study of enamel growth trajectories in teeth from
ovarian teratomas: The timing of linear enamel hypoplastic lesions on anterior
tooth crown surfaces in modern populations: Tooth root growth during the
supraosseous eruptive phase in children aged 4-7 years.

Recent comparative
projects on Miocene fossil primates: Dental development in
Anapithecus an extinct primate with a uniquely fast life history
profile: Rates of enamel growth in the smallest extinct monkey
(Victoriapithecus, ~5kg) and the largest extinct ape
(Gigantopithecus ~300kg): Tooth root morphology and dietary adaptation
in Gigantopithecus.

Recent comparative
projects on Plio-Pleistocene fossil hominids: The life history profile of
Homo erectus determined from rates of enamel growth: A histological
analysis of Neanderthal enamel and dentine development in fossils from La
Chaise-de-Vouthon, Charente, France.

1975 BDS,
University College London1977 Diploma in Human Biology,
University of Oxford1983 PhD, University of
London1993 Diploma in General Dental Practice, Royal
College of Surgeons, London1985 Wellcome Trust Lecturer,
UCL1990 Lecturer, Department of Anatomy and Developmental
Biology, UCL1991 Reader in Anatomy, Department of Anatomy
and Developmental Biology, UCL1996 Professor of Anatomy,
Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology UCL

Selected
Publications

Dean,
M.C. (2010) Retrieving chronological age from dental remains of early fossil
hominins to reconstruct human growth in the
past. Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society, London, Series B Biological Sciences
365 (1556);
3397-3410 [PDF]

Bromage, T.G. and Dean M.C.
(1985) Re-evaluation of the age at death of immature fossil hominids.
Nature, 317; 525-528.[PDF]

Dean, M.C., Beynon, A.D.,
Thackeray, J.F. and Macho, G. (1993) Histological reconstruction of dental
development and age at death of a juvenile Paranthropus robustus
specimen, SK 63, from Swartkrans, South Africa. American Journal of Physical
Anthropology. 91; 401-419.[PDF]

This page requires XSLT support. It seems to be unsupported by your browser. If you are using an older
Android device you can try installing another web browser from Google Play / Android
Market. In the meantime you can try to view this researcher profile
on IRIS (click here)
using your current browser.

This page requires Javascript. It seems to be turned off or unsupported by your browser.
Please turn Javascript on or install the newest version of Firefox (or some other modern browser).
In the meantime you can try to view this researcher profile
on IRIS (click here)
using your current browser.